One of the things that I have learnt in life is to be your own person. To act and react according to our individual beliefs, values and sense of fun. Following our dreams and interacting in our unique way brings a smile to others and can change their world.
Yoko Ono was a leader in setting your own rules and she and John Lennon certainly changed the world.
Have you ever planned to go somewhere, never made it and had the best day ever? This is what happened to my husband and I when we started out to visit Oberon.
Oberon is on the western side of the Great Dividing Range, a 45 minute trip from Bathurst, where we were staying. Oberon is a small rural town 1113 metres above sea level. The day we wanted to visit, a major cold front arrived and we were stopped by SNOW. Yes. Never before have I traveled on a normal road in Australia and been stopped by snow. We drove as far as we could but eventually the road was closed. So we got out of the car and had some fun.
Welcome to Inspiring Max’s 2017 Christmas Calendar countdown. This year I have decided to mix it up a bit and do the twelve days of Christmas.
Every Christmas is colour themed in our family. All family members despite age can nominate any colour or combination of colours and lobby others to get their vote. Last years winner and the colour of this years Christmas Calendar was Grey and Lavendar, affectionately known as Gravendar.
What I love about family traditions is that they are unique. Every family, even families within families have their own traditions and there is no end to the options. Big or small to start a new tradition the only need to enjoy the experience and do it regularly. My husband and my latest tradition is to prepare breakfast on the weekend and eat it together on the front verandah, watching the world go by. The only thing missing is a newspaper but we haven’t added that to our traditions yet.
Some times of the year like Christmas and birthdays involve more traditions than others. Being part of a large extended family this means the tradition of celebrating is never far away. The hardest part is setting the date, time and place and from there on the organisation of  a party for a special occasion isn’t difficult. Everyone knows what to do and our family traditions that always involve FOOD – GLORIOUS FOOD continue.
COLOUR THEMED CHRISTMAS last year you guessed right – GREEN.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge plays a major role in all celebrations on Sydney Harbour. These photos taken during VIVID 2017 show her in all her glory from both sides of Circular Quay.
Are you a traveler or a homebody?Â
I love travelling. I find exploring new places, their history and culture fascinating. Unfortunately, the longest time I have traveled is 6 weeks. However, I look forward to spending my long service leave travelling to far off lands in the next few years.
PS. Most of the world is far off when you live in Australia.
What kind of TV commercial would you like to make? Describe it.
I don’t think I would want to make a TV commercial, although I have been in two and not actually paid for either. The first was planned and I was shopping for baby goods in my friends’ parents baby shop. I was young and it was fun making it.
The second commercial I was in was for the first season of The Voice in Australia. I had seen the battles being taped live and as we were leaving they asked for our opinions. I must have done a great job as suddenly people were telling me I was on TV advertising The Voice. Personally, I was never lucky enough to see me on TV but it had my family, friends, colleagues and patients talking for weeks.  Fortunately, one of my friends sent me a photo of it on her TV. Gotta love technology these days. I think that I look okay for midnight. 
Describe yourself in a word that starts with the first letter of your name.
Maternal, mindful, motivated
List some fun things for a rainy day.
Bonus question: Â What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?Â
Last week I was grateful for family time celebrating my son’s birthday. Â Even though he was overseas, my husband, daughter and I went out and enjoyed his favourite food.
This week I hope to finish painting my kitchen cupboards and finally decide where things will belong permanently in my new home.
If we were having coffee I would tell you what an interesting week I’ve had. Working less opens up more exciting opportunities that I would have normally missed out on.
If we were having coffee I would tell you about Parramatta Toastmasters 50th birthday celebrations on Thursday night. It was a special night with stories from Russ Walkington, the gentlemen whose ideas and  hard work made it to happen in the first place. What a dynamic speaker. He said it took a lot of convincing however once Parramatta Toastmasters Club started in September 1966 it had been a great success.  I was a little surprised however that for the first 25 years it was a men’s only club, with women not allowed to join until August, 1990, actually 2 days before my wedding. The women joining of course brought them even more success and in 1996, Parramatta Toastmasters Club was recognised as the fourth top Toastmaster club in the world.
Also at the dinner were many past members who have gone on to do great things as well as a few charter (original) members. One of my favorite thing was the parade of past Presidents of which there were 19 of the 49 present on the night. They were piped in by one of the current club members wearing his kilt and took up 3 lines on the stage.
Happy Birthday Parramatta Toastmasters Club
If we were having coffee I would tell you how exciting it was to hear Toastmaster’s 2016-2017 International President Mike Storkey, DTM speak at Parramatta’s 50th Birthday. He was an inspiration and encouraged everyone to focus on the future not just  live on past successes. I agree. Life is definitely a journey, with the more interesting views coming after a challenging climb.
If we were having coffee I would tell you what a great day I had on Friday at Better Homes and Gardens Live. Better Homes and Gardens is  Australia’s favourite TV show and magazine, which brings together ideas for renovating, decorating homes and gardens as well as advice about pets. From the shows stars I learnt about chalk paint —making furniture restoration fun, quick and easy desserts and how to cook the perfect roast pork. Once we have finally settled into our new home, I look forward to testing out these and other ideas from my day out.
Education aside, I would have to say the most fun was had at the end of the day with Fast Ed attempting to make pigs fly. He attached helium balloons to his pig shaped shortbread cookies and willed them to fly. In the end it took 3 helium balloons to finally get lift off and they kept going until they rested on the ceiling.
If we were having coffee I would tell you about supporting my husband yesterday by going to the cinema with him to see The Beatles Eight Days a Week—The Touring Years. This documentary by Ron Howard  made sense of the Beatles Journey. Prior to this my knowledge of the Beatles was minimal however they really were game changers in more than the music scene. The movie is based around their 815 shows in 4 years performed around the globe. It was fascinating to see from old footage, the impact The Beatles had in a very different world and to consider problems like early crowd control. At the end of the movie came half an hour of seeing the Beatles live at Shea Stadium, New York concert. It was the biggest ever concert at the time involving 55,000 people. Amazing results, especially when you consider that they couldn’t hear where they were up to in the songs because of the loudness of the fans screams. If you get the opportunity, even if your not a big Beatles fan, take a break from today’s world, travel back 50 years and take in some history. Its well worth it. Ron Howard, you did a great job.
If we were having coffee I would ask you what is happening in your world? Let me know in the comments.
If you were given a boat or yacht today, what would you name it? Â (You can always sell the yacht later)
Choosing a name for a boat or yacht depends on it type. My father used to have a Hood 23, which he cleverly named Child. The rowing boat attached was called Baby. I loved it.
Photo Credit: Google Images
Which of Snow White’s 7 dwarfs describes you best?  (Doc, Happy, Bashful, Sleepy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Dopey) Plus what would the 8th dwarf’s name be?
I think I am a mixture of Doc and Happy although there are times when I am tired that I could definitely be called Dopey. In my world the 8th dwarf would be called Techno. Although just for fun I asked my girls and their suggestions was Attitudy.
Name a song or two which are included on the soundtrack to your life?
I find music very powerful and the following soundtracks have been with me since they first hit the charts in the 1970’s. They have both gotten me through many hard times and remind me that I can do anything I set my mind to and to keep moving forward.
https://youtu.be/MUBnxqEVKlk
Complete this sentence:  I like watching…
PEOPLE! They are so interesting.
Bonus question: Â What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?Â
Last week I was grateful that the transition from Sydney to Newcastle is going so well with few hiccups. This week I am looking forward to getting some ideas for our home renovations from the Better Home and Gardens Show.
Share Your World – 2016 Week 36
Would you travel into outer space?
Sure why not, however I do have one condition. I must be a passenger. I don’t want any responsibility for getting us there or back. Mechanics and science aren’t my things but I am up for adventure and floating around with no gravity would be fun for a bit.
Which country/city in the world (that you have never been to) would you most like to visit and why?
The top country on my bucket list is Iceland. I love natural beauty and the volcanos, geysers, waterfalls, hot springs and glaciers really interest me. The other thing Iceland has is aurora borealis—the northern lights. What a sight they would be.
Photo Credit: Google Images
What could you do to breathe more deeply today?
Running a marathon would do it, however at the moment I think I will stick to running in 100 metre spurts. You never know one day 42 kilometres might be an option but I sincerely doubt it.
Complete this sentence:  This creamy peanut butter sandwich could really use some …
processed cheese slices, then it would do my husband for lunch.
Bonus question: Â What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?Â
During this week I had a birthday and I am always grateful to celebrate another year of wisdom and longevity. Next week I am looking forward to the blessings the universe has install as I transition into my new working life. Each day brings new beginnings.
When I think of fun, I think of Disneyland. It is so exciting to immerse myself in the characters, places and adventures I grew up with. I love that Disneyland was designed as a place for adults as well as children and that it is constantly evolving. I first went to the original Disneyland on my honeymoon during its 35th anniversary, which was amazing. The day and night time performances are etched in my memory forever.
The following photos are from our recent fun trip to Hong Kong’s Disneyland. I can never get enough of Disneyland and I am looking forward to visiting Japan’s Disneyland next year. Mickey and friends are universal so I am sure language won’t be a barrier to fun.
